Barriers to women's economic participation persist in every region of the world. Nations need to do more to level the legal playing field for women and ensure that women have the right to compete fairly in the economy—which will lead to significant gains.

Abuses committed by African militaries in the fight against Boko Haram have raised important questions about U.S. military involvement in the conflict, particularly the debate about U.S. military assistance and the role of the nearly 1,800 U.S. personnel across West and Central Africa.